No Stokes or Brathwaite in Eden rematch

The last over of the final of the 2016 ICC T20 World Cup has gone down as one of the greatest moments in the tournament’s history.

ICC is running a poll to choose the greatest moment of the T20 World Cup, where the last over at Eden in 2016 where Carlos Brathwaite his four consecutive sixes against the bowling of Ben Stokes in the final to secure the second T20 World Cup trophy for West Indies is among the top two with Virat Kohli’s 82* against Australia in the same tournament.

Former West Indian pacer turned commentator Ian Bishop immortalized the moment with his famous words “Remember the name“, which he uttered in front of the microphone right after pronouncing Carlos Brathwaite twice when the Caribbean hit the fourth six to ensure West Indies have won another T20 World Cup.

Five years later, when another edition of the T20 World Cup is taking place, both Stokes and Brathwaite are absent in their respective teams.

Brathwaite, a name which is remembered by many cricket enthusiasts for his heroics at Eden was overlooked by the selectors for T20 World Cup due to his sub-par performance in the Caribbean Premier League, where he only scored 147 runs from 10 matches and took only four wickets.

In his past seven innings for West Indies in T20Is, he reached double figures only twice and eventually missed the spot in the team. He last played a T20i for West Indies in August 2019.

Brathwaite even did not find any team in the Indian Premier League after the 2019 season. The 34-years old all-rounder often appears as an expert for various media outlets.

On the other hand, Stokes recovered from the shocking defeat in 2016 and turned himself into one of the finest all-rounders of the present era in all formats.

He was instrumental in England’s first-ever ICC Cricket World Cup title in 2019, and also played one of the greatest knocks in the history of cricket to salvage a one-wicket victory over archrivals Australia at Leeds.

But Stokes has sidelined himself from cricket as he has taken an indefinite break from all cricket” to focus on his mental wellbeing and continue his recovery from a finger injury that put him out of the T20 World Cup.

After that dramatic final five years ago, England and West Indies are facing each other in their very first match of the next T20 World Cup at Dubai International Stadium today.

But there will be no Stokes or Brathwaite for another encounter.